thompson



Aug. 11, 1959 J. K. THOMPSON MEANS FOR DISPENSING PACKAGING TAPE FROM ROLLS Filed March 28, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A I 5 :0 F/Gl. A l -1 6 n I: 8 I l AAA v Inventor /9 John )1- Thompson A ilorney Aug. 11, 1959 J. K. THOMPSON 2,399,144

MEANS FOR DISPENSING PACKAGING TAPE FROM ROLLS Filed March 28, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor John If. 7",: ompson A Horn 0 y Aug. 11, 1959 J. K. THOMPSON 2,899,144

MEANS FOR DISPENSING PACKAGING TAPE FROM ROLLS Filed March 28, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 v Inventor John A. Thompson 9 z Aug. 11, 1959 J. K. THOMPSON I MEANS FOR DISPENSING PACKAGING TAPE FROM ROLLS Filed March 28, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [nvenlor John h: Thompson A ttorney United States Patent MEANS FOR DISPENSING PACKAGING TAPE FROM ROLLS John Kenneth Thompson, Malton, England Application March 28, 1957, Serial No. 649,182

Claims priority, application Great Britain March 28, 1956 Claims. (Cl. 242-584) Many Wrapping machines, taping machines, and the like require a supply of self adhesive tape or other strip material which is supplied in the form of a roll or coil. The roll is rotatably mounted and is drawn into the machine. When the roll or material is exhausted, or requires changing, it is normally necessary to stop the machine, fit a new roll, and thread the free end of the strip material into the guides, feed mechanism and etc. of the wrapping or taping machine. This invention has for its object to provide a form of magazine which may hold a number of rolls, and to provide a means of transferring the withdrawal or tape from one roll to the next in the magazine and a further object is to effect the transfer without stopping the machine and irrespective of the various guides or' the like through which the tape must pass.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of a machine constructed according to this invention, looking from the top of the mechanism in the direction of arrow B, Figure 2, the tape drum carrier or magazine plate and the parts mounted thereon having been removed except for a small portion of the drum carrier, the outline of the remaining portion of the drum carrier being shown by broken lines, and the spindle of the tape drum carrier being shown in section on line II of Figure 6.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machinelooking in the direction of arrow A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a face View of an arm carrying means commencing the rotation of the magazine carrier, the arm being shown detached.

Figure 4 is a section on line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on line VV of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section on line VIVI of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view showing parts in poice tape passes through a clamp which is fixed to a frame 4 on which the shaft 2 is mounted. The frame 4 is a casting and is suitably shaped to carry the various members mounted thereon, one end 4a being enlarged so that such end can be fixed to a suitable supporting base. The fixed jaw 5 of the clamp presents a fiat face 6 to the tape 7, a short distance away from the non adhesive side when the tape is being withdrawn, and coincides with a part of the length of the tape.

A fixed knife or cutter 8 is attached to the inner end of the fixed jaw 5 near the drum 3 at the withdrawal station. Its cutting edge lies transversely of the tape, a short distance back from the face 6 and from the end of the jaw 5, and slightly below the jaw 5. The direction of movement of the magazine plate 1 at the side adjacent to the jaw is towards the face of the jaw. Thus, if the tape is firmly pressed against the face 6 of the jaw at that end away from the said drum (hereafter called the outer end) and the magazine plate is moved, the tape is drawn tight across the jaw, and as the axis of the drum passes the plane of the jaw face 6, the tape is drawn into contact with the knife which severs the tape, adjacent to the inner end of the jaw, the resistance to movement of withdrawal of the tape also holding the tape for the cut.

A movable locking pad 9 is positioned so that it is adapted to close and trap the tape between it and the face 6 at a point near the outer end of the jaw 5. Movement of the locking pad is controlled by a suitable cam mechanism or the like which co-acts with the magazine plate 1 in such a manner that when the magazine plate is in an at rest position the locking pad is clear of the jaw 5 and tape and in the course of one movement of the magazine plate the locking pad firstly closes and grips the tape, remains in this position for almost the complete duration of the movement, and then lifts clear again. The movable locking pad 9 forms the jaw of a clamp coacting with the stationary clamping jaw 5 and is mounted on the end of an elbow lever 10 pivotally mounted on the frame 4 and the tail arm 11 of the lever 10 is adapted to ride on stumps 12 on the mountings for the drums 3 which stumps lie co-axial with the drums and project from the underside of the plate 1. The arm 11 has a cam projection 13 which engages on a stump 12 when the plate 1 is at rest, and in this position the pad 9 is in I the non-clamping position. When the plate 1 rotates from sition with tape being drawn from a drum and passing H freely through a clamp, and

Figure 8 shows a device for applying adhesive on the end of tape held on the clamping jaw.

According to one convenient construction the tape drum carrier comprises a magazine plate which is horizontal and the material to be fed is self adhesive tape with adhesive on one side. The magazine plate 1 is rotatably mounted on a vertical shaft 2. Equally spaced on a pitch circle about this shaft, and attached to the magazine plate, are a number of vertical spindles each carrying a rotatably mounted drum 3 having a roll of tape thereon.

The magazine plate 1 is adapted to be revolved through an angle equal to that included by two adjacent drums. Thus if six drums are fitted, the magazine plate revolves in steps through one sixth of a revolution to successively bring each drum to the withdrawal station.

When the magazine plate 1 is at rest tape is drawn from that drum which is at the withdrawal station and into the feed or withdrawal mechanism of a machine using the position shown in Figure 1, the arm 11 is pulled down by the spring 14 to press the pad 9 on the face 6 of the jaw 5 and clamps the tape '7 on the face 6.

Each drum 3 has an identical lever 15 pivoted on plate 1 and identically positioned relative to it. The swing of the lever 15 is limited by stops 16 and 17 on the magazine plate. A spring 18 connects each lever to the magazine plate and acts in such a manner that each arm is held against one or other of its stops, movement of the lever loads the spring through roughly the first half of the stroke, and thereafter the spring lever passes ever the dead centre and drives the arm the rest of the stroke. The axes of the lever pivots are vertical to the plane of the magazine plate.

A vertical extension at the outer end of each lever carries a pressure pad which is in the form of a roller 19, and which is of some material to which the tape will not readily adhere such as nylon and the roller is grooved to limit surface contact. These levers are normally in the outer position, i.e. away from the drums 3. The dimensions and disposition of the said arms and springs are such that when the magazine plate 1 is revolved, the pressure pad will contact the face 6 of the jaw 5 at some suitable point along its length as indicated by dotted outer position in Figure 7. Continued movement of the magazine plate will cause the lever to swing, and the pressure pad or roller 19 to move inwards along the face 6. As the pressure pad approaches the inner end of the face 6 to the inner dotted position of the pad 19 in Figure 7, the half way. mark of the swing will be passed, and the lever 15, actuated. by the spring, will complete its stroke, the pad swinging back away clear from the jaw and nearer to the centre of. the magazine plate against the stop 17. After passing beyond the jaw 5 the levers can be returned to their outer position, either manually as the magazine is loaded, or by a suitable cam mechanism.

To load the mechanism a loaded drum. 3 is positioned at each station. One drum will be at the withdrawal station and the lever 15 and pressure pad 19 relative to this station will have contacted the jaw 5, moved along it, and will bein the inner position. Tape is withdrawn from this drum 3 freely, between the pressure pad 19 and the jaw 5, between the locking pad 9' and the jaw 5, and through suitable guides into the feed mechanism of the tape using machine. All other pressure pads or roll ers 19 are in their outer position and the free end of tape from each drum is withdrawn and pressed lightly, adhesive side foremost, against the relative pressure pad 19, to which it adheres. Guides may be provided to ensure that these free ends are positioned on the rollers 19 to eventually coincide with the jaw 5. The tape 7 from a drum 3 is guided around aroller 17 which forms a stop aforementioned, before passing to the pressure roller 19. The pressure roller 19 is located forwardly of a radial line passing through the centre of the shaft 2 and the centre of the relative drum 3, so that the pressure roller will. have pressed the end. of the tape thereon on the tape clamped to the jaw 5 and moved clear of the jaw 5- before the relative drum has come to rest at the withdrawal station.

Tape is withdrawn from the roll at the withdrawal station into the parent machine. When the roll is almost exhausted, or it is required. to change the roll, the magazine plate actuating mechanism is operated. As the magazine plate starts to move the locking pad 9 closes on to the jaw 5,. gripping the tape.v The tape is drawn tight against the jaw 5 and knife and is severed adjacent to the inner end of the jaw 5, the end of that cut from the drum being held in position by the locking pad 9. The free end of tape from the next roll is carried around by its pressure pad 19, and presses against the adhesive side of the tape resting along the face 6. The free end of the tape from the new drum adheres to the cut piece of tape on the jaw 5 and the pressure pad 19 slides or rolls along it as movement of the plate 1 is continued. As the pressure pad nears the end of the jaw 5 the lever 15 passes the half way mark of its movement and over the dead centre and swings back against the stop 17. The locking pad 9 then lifts as the movement is completed.

The new roll of tape is now at the withdrawal station, with its free end attached to the out oif end of the previous roll of tape, and tape may be drawn into the machine proper as before. The tape will tend to adhere to the pressure pad 19 and locking pad 9, but will quickly pull clear. To replace a new roll it is only necessary to load it and position its free end against the pressure pad 19 as before. This can be done at any time whilst another roll of tape is being used.

The sequence of the operations are preferably automatic. The plate or drum carrier 1 is mounted on the spindle 2 which is urged by' a clock spring 20 in the forward direction and is held by a detent 21 on a lever 22 pivoted on the base 4 and when a drum is at the withdrawal station, the detent engaging the stump 12 of a drum mounting. The lever 22 is held in the stop position by the spring 31 through the medium of the link 22a which is moved by the solenoid against the tension of spring 31. A bracket 24 fixed in relation to the base 4 carries a micro switch 25 and is closed by an arm 26 'pivotally mounted on the bracket and spring urged into along the line of tape withdrawal.

position closing the switch by the spring 27. An arm 28 mounted on the spindle 29 carrying the arm 26 has a roller 30 which contacts the tape roll on the drum 3 at the Withdrawal station and when the drum is loaded holds the switch 25 open. The bracket or arm 24, shown by Figure 3, is removed from. Figure l for convenience of illustration, and its position on the machine is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 8. When the roll of tape has been withdrawn to near the end, the pressure roller has moved to close the switch and energise a solenoid 23 to withdraw the detent and permit the plate 1 to rotate and bring a loaded drum to the withdrawal station, and on the loaded drum moving into the withdrawal station the'periphery ofthe drum bears on the roller 30 and opens the switch 25 and de-energises the solenoid allowing the spring 31" to return the detent 21 and stop the magazine plate 1.

If the machine proper uses tape intermittently, i.e. there is some point in each cycle of the tape applying machine when tape is not being withdrawn, then an overriding control should: be employed to ensure that roll change takes place only at this time. If tape is being drawn into the tapeapplying machine continuously then means must be provided to compensate for the tape being locked: to the jaw 5 whilst the change is taking place such as. The tape is fed over movable rollers between the magazine and the tape applying machinein such a way that a loop is formed. in the tape; Movement of the magazine plate actuates these rollers in such a way that the loop is progressively reduced, supplying tape to the machine proper in the change period- The rollers may be returned to the normal position when the new roll is feeding; or the magazine device is mounted so that the whole may slide It is normally held in the furthermost position .from the machine. When the. magazine plate isbeing moved the whole device moves towards the machine proper at the speed at which tape is being withdrawn, and may be returned after the new roll has started feeding.

The above device. has applied to self adhesive or pressure sensitive tape.

If a gummed strip were used it would be necessary to provide a means of moistening the tape to be stuck.

If a heat sealing material were to be used it would be necessary to heat the anvil and/or the pressure pad.

On any other non-adhesive material. it would be necessary to provide a means of applying a quick setting adhesive or the like to the end of the tape to be stuck. The adhesive or water can be applied by means of. a pivoted lever 32 similar to lever 15 except, as shown by Figure 8 a roller 33 ismounted on the end which is hollow to contain liquid quick drying adhesive. A pad surrounds. the rollerand is fed through perforations in the roller. The roller applies the adhesive on the tape clamped to the jaw 5 and wipes over such tape similar to the pressure roller 19. The lever 32 is mounted on the plate 1 intermediate the levers 15. Water may be filled in the roller 33 for application to a gummed strip. In these latter instances it. would be necessary to provide clips or the like to support the free end of the material against the pressure pad. These clips would retract as the pressure pad approached the anvil. Alternatively a piece of tape with adhesive on both sides is attached to the end of a non-adhesive tape of a loaded drum so that such end can be applied to the pad 19 and also applied. by such pad to the end of the tape clamped on the jaw surface 6 of thejaw 5. The arm B1 (Figure l) carries a switch but forms no part of the working of the device described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

I. A device for withdrawing tape from a drum having means for connecting the commencing end of the tape from one drum to the finishing end of the tape from. another drum, comprisinga movable carrier in the form of arotatably mounted magazine disc having tape carrying drums at spaced apart positions so that the drums can be successively moved to a station for withdrawing tape, a clamp having gripping jaws between the open jaws of which the tape travels when being withdrawn, means for operating the clamp to hold the tape from a spent drum whilst it is cut therefrom and whilst another drum is moved to the withdrawal station, and a jaw of said clamp forming a supporting face for fastening the tape from the loaded drum at said withdrawal station to the end of the tape held by the clamp, and means on the magazine carrier for carrying the beginning end of the tape from a loaded drum and applying such end to the end of the tape held by said clamp.

2. A device for withdrawing tape from a drum having means for connecting the commencing end of the tape from one drum to the finishing end of the tape from another drum, comprising a movable carrier in the form of a rotatably mounted magazine disc having tape drums at spaced apart positions therearound so that the drums can be successively moved to a tape withdrawal station, a clamp having two jaws between which the withdrawing tape passes, one said jaw being stationary and having a face over which the moving tape travels and the other jaw being formed as a lever, cam mechanism for operating said lever by the rotation of said magazine disc for clamping the tape from a spent drum on said face of the fixed jaw, a fixed cutter located adjacent said fixed jaw for cutting the tape held in the clamp as said magazine revolves, and means on the magazine carrier for carrying the beginning end of the tape from a loaded drum and applying such end to the end of the tape held by said clamp.

3. A device for withdrawing tape from a drum having means for connecting the commencing end of the tape from one drum to the finishing end of the tape from another drum, comprising a movable carrier in the form of a rotatably mounted magazine disc having tape drums at spaced apart positions therearound so that the drums can be successively moved to a tape withdrawal station, a clamp having two jaws between which the withdrawing tape passes, one said jaw being stationary and having a face over which the moving tape travels and the other jaw being formed as a lever, cam mechanism for operating said lever by the rotation of said magazine disc for clamping the tape from a spent drum on said face of the fixed jaw, a fixed cutter located adjacent said fixed jaw for cutting the tape held in the clamp as said magazine revolves, and a pressure member associated with each tape drum which is movably mounted on the drum carrier and 'to which the end of the tape from the associated tape drum is adapted to be fixed and which pressure member is movable into a position to move against tape clamped on said face of the stationary jaw of the clamp to press the end of the tape passing from a drum as the carrier is moved to position such drum at the withdrawal station and which pressure member is adapted to move clear of said jaw of the clamp after the tape thereon has been fastened on the tape clamped to such jaw.

4. A device for withdrawing tape from a drum having means for connecting the commencing end of the tape from one drum to the finishing end of the tape from another drum, as set forth in claim 4, in which the pressure member comprises a pivoted lever mounted on the tape drum carrier and adapted to swing between two stops into one position outward against one stop so that a pressure roller on the end lies in the path of the said face of the fixed jaw of the clamp so that the roller rides inwardly of such face, as the carrier moves forwardly, to swing clear of the clamp, a spring being connected to the lever, so that the lever moves over the dead centre as it moves from one position to the other.

5. A device for withdrawing tape from a drum having means for connecting the commencing end of the tape from one drum to the finishing end of the tape from another drum, comprising a movable carrier in the form of a rotatably mounted magazine disc having tape drums at spaced apart positions therearound so that the drums can be successively moved to a tape withdrawal station, a clamp having two jaws between which the withdrawing tape passes, one said jaw being stationary and having a face over which the moving tape travels and the other jaw being formed as a lever, cam mechanism for operating said lever by the rotation of said magazine disc for clamping the tape from a spent drum on said face of the fixed jaw, a fixed cutter located adjacent said fixed jaw for cutting the tape held in the clamp as said magazine revolves, and means on the magazine carrier for carrying the beginning end of the tape from a loaded drum and applying such end to the end of the tape held by said clamp, and means for automatically moving the tape drum carrier to position a loaded drum into the tape withdrawing position and to move a spent drum away from the withdrawal position when the tape has been withdrawn from such latter drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,899,185 Di Ianni Feb. 28, 1933 

